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Kind of Ridiculous

Kind of Ridiculous

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. Kind of ridiculous Is there anything more absurd than an instruction to “be kind”? For one thing, it’s illogical.  The essence of kindness is that a person acts

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Bordering on Conversations

Bordering on Conversations

Dr Eric Crampton Chief Economist nzinitiative.org.nz Some conversations are difficult, but critical. This week, Sir Peter Gluckman, the Rt Hon Helen Clark, and Rob Fyfe released a short ‘conversation paper’ called Re-engaging New Zealand with the World. Rather than saying how and when New Zealand’s borders could

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Friday Fur

Friday Fur

If you have a great Youtube or Vimeo video to share send it to videos@thebfd.co.nz

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Loyal Opposition

Loyal Opposition

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. Loyal Opposition It’s often said that the Leader of the Opposition has the hardest job in politics. That’s doubly so in a time of national crisis, when

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Labour’s Latest Polling Must Be Bad; David Clark Resigns

Labour’s Latest Polling Must Be Bad; David Clark Resigns

Labour must have seen some bad polling because until yesterday the Prime Minister was expressing confidence in her hapless Health Minister. Now Jacinda Ardern has weakly accepted his resignation, just in time for David Clark to head home for the school holidays. Beleaguered Health Minister David Clark has resigned as

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300 People Vanish into Thin Air

300 People Vanish into Thin Air

First we had two women who left quarantine early on compassionate grounds kissing and cuddling their way from Auckland to Wellington when they had not been tested for COVID-19 but, as it turned out, they did have the disease. Then it turned out that those in quarantine were not actually

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Elder Abuse and End of Life Powers Are Incompatible

Elder Abuse and End of Life Powers Are Incompatible

Once upon a time, I fervently supported euthanasia legislation. Then, a couple of things happened. First, we got to see it in practice. It turned out that the ‘slippery slope’ Cassandras were right: ‘safeguards’ were watered down with indecent haste. “Imminent terminal illness with intolerable suffering” became “terminal illness” and

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Labour MP David Clark Steps down as Health Minister

Labour MP David Clark Steps down as Health Minister

Labour MP David Clark has stepped down as Health Minister. The embattled MP for Dunedin North said he had become a “distraction” and that the “time is right” for someone else to fill the role, but he will stand as an MP in the upcoming election. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

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An Act of Stupidity

An Act of Stupidity

Chris Penk The BFD is serialising National MP Chris Penk’s book Flattening the Country by publishing an extract every day. An Act of stupidity The passage of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act will be remembered as one of the most shameful episodes in our Parliament’s history. Replacing

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Healthcare through the Looking Glass

Healthcare through the Looking Glass

We have passed through the COVID Looking Glass and entered a strange new reality, according to Sherelle Jacobs in The Telegraph. While New Zealand reclines in splendid isolation, the rest of the world is dealing with ‘second wave hysteria’. Not surprisingly, vaccines remain elusive and the race is on to

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The Final Choice

The Final Choice

This coming election we will not only be voting on which party we want to hold the balance of power, but we will also be taking part in a referendum on a very controversial and emotionally charged proposed new law. Those of us who are against it cheerfully refer to

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Until We Have Faces: The American Niqaab

Until We Have Faces: The American Niqaab

Judith Acosta classicalhomeopathynewmexico.com The other day I was in the garden with a friend, enjoying all the tender blessings of nature when, suddenly, a large vinegaroon crawled past her bare feet. It is a formidable-looking bug, but completely benign to humans. She leapt up like a gazelle on the

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